The media loves to report huge multi-million dollar jury verdicts.  Big verdicts make for good headlines, but it minimizes the injury it took for a jury to award million plus verdict in a Washington car accident case.  A driver, Koti Hu, was awarded $30 million dollars for a 2007 catastrophic rear-end car accident on an I-405 on ramp this week.  His car was stopped for a on-ramp light meter when it was rear-ended by a pick-up going 60 mph.

There are no punitive damages in Washington, so that means huge Washington auto accident verdicts almost always involve catastrophic injuries requiring life long medical care for the injured victim.  In Mr. Hu's case, he was left paralyzed from the chest down.  He requires daily medical caretakers, has had to move back in with his parents and can no longer work at the same job.  Before the tragic accident he was a musician who lived on his own, now he's in a wheelchair, he can't walk and only has the use of his fingers.

Mr. Hu's life has been totally and irreparably altered.  He no longer can choose how he lives his life because there are certain limitations that he simply must always account for in any pursuit.  How much is living your life on your own terms worth to you?  Hard to quantify isn't it.  

Before you join the campaign against jackpot justice, take a few steps in the injury victims shoes.  You just might see a different and more compelling reason why the jury decided the way they did.